Single serve beverage dispensers (SSBDs) are increasingly popular and have become ubiquitous on kitchen countertops. Certain SSBDs are loaded with capsules or pods that allow users to brew or mix an individual-size, unique, hot or cold beverage. Thus, SSBDs may provide a single cup of coffee to users who do not consume or desire an entire pot of coffee. In order to provide single beverages, SSBDs generally dispense small volumes of liquid (e.g., between eight and sixteen ounces) for each beverage. To permit consecutive preparation of beverages and decrease preparation time, certain SSBDs include a removable water storage reservoir. The reservoir is generally sized to between four and eight dispenses worth of water therein.
A filter may be provided within the reservoir over an outlet of the reservoir to filter contaminants from the water within the reservoir. In order to minimize a pressure drop over the filter (which may cause difficulties for certain is SSBDs), the filters are generally configured as a single mesh filter. However, such a filter may be ineffective at filtering particles from the water within the reservoir smaller than a certain threshold. Additionally, such a filter may be ineffective at filtering volatile organic compounds—such as chloroform, lindane, and atrazine—from the water within the reservoir.
Accordingly, a water filter assembly for a beverage dispenser capable of more effectively removing particles and/or volatile organic compounds from the water within the reservoir would be beneficial. Moreover, a water filter assembly for a beverage dispenser capable of more effectively removing particles and/or volatile organic compounds from water within a reservoir while minimizing a pressure drop over such filter would be particularly useful.